Very little is known of Thomas Hariot; his only published works are the 'Briefe and true report' and the posthumous 'Praxis', a handbook of algebra. He anticipated the law of refraction, corresponded with Kepler, observed comets, and may have been the first to recognize that the straight line paths of comets might be segments of elongated ellipses. The lost 'ephemera' referred to in the text have since been found (since 1876) and a conference was held in 1970 at the University of Delaware on the current state of Hariot research, the proceedings of which have been published by the Oxford University Press, where one may find a fairly current view of the historical record.

eted, ít remained to be decided in
what manner they should be published. I did not feel myself competent to
pick up the fallen reins of the HERCULES CLUB, which, as I have said
before, appears never to have been fully inaugurated on the intended
co-operative basis.

There being now no constituted association (such having entirely lapsed
on the death of Mr. ' Secretary Outis'), and many of the original
subscribers, who were ipso facto members, being also no longer with us,
it appeared impossible to put forth the volumes as the publications of
the HERCULES CLUB. Consequently I resolved to issue them myself (and any
future volumes I may be able to bring to completion) simply as privately
printed books, and I feel perfectly justified in so doing, as no one but
Mr. Henry Stevens had any hand in their design or production either
editorially or financially. No money whatever was received from the
members, whose subscriptions were only to become payable when the
publications were ready for delivery. The surviving m